Combined timer and rotary selector switch



May 27, 1969 v H. w. VOGT. JR 5,

COMBINED TIMER AND ROTARY SELECTOR SWITCH Filed llarch 30, 1966 4o TIMED FUNCTION 34 as EEIZST 4 '36 38 1' R 42 ,APPL'ANCE OF ELEMENT o APPLIANCE 0F APPLIANCE 42 I7 I I INVENTOR HAROLD W. V06T,JR

ATTORNEY United States Patent COMBINED TIMER AND ROTARY SELECTOR SWITCH Harold W. Vogt, Jr., Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to P. R. Mallory & Co. Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 538,684

Int. Cl. H01h 7/08, 43/10 US. Cl. 200-38 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Rotary means and cam means are mounted on a rotating shaft driven by a motor. Means are provided for holding the rotary members in a predetermined position independent of the motor.

The present invention relates to appliance control means and more particularly to the means and methods for providing a combined timer and rotary selector switch.

There are many appliance applications requiring a timer for controlling certain timed functions and a selector switch for selecting particular functions. For instance, a self-cleaning oven of the type that utilizes a high temperature for a controlled period of time to clean the interior surfaces of the oven requires a timer as well as a selector switch for selecting baking, time-baking, or broiling functions.

The present invention combines the functions of a timer and rotary selector switch into one device. Thus, less space is required and, where it is desired to control the timer and selector switch from a common shaft or knob, mechanical linkages between the timer and selector switch are eliminated. The selector switch portion of the present invention operates in the same manner as any conventional rotary selector switch and the timer portion of the present invention operates as any conventional timer having a plurality of time-driven cams and switches operated by the cams.

The present invention is a highly desirable improvement in that the rotary switch function is added .to a timer with a minimum cost as compared to having a separate rotary switch. For instance, in a system where the timer and rotary selector switch are separated, both must have a shaft, rotary members or cams mounted on the shaft, and a knob. In the device of the' present invention, there is one shaft and one knob for adjusting the position of the shaft. A driving means, or motor, is coupled to the shaft so as to drive the shaft through the various timed cycles. The shaft can be manually rotated independently of the motor to any of the rotary selector switch positions.

Specific details of the present invention will be discussed later in this specification. I

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a combined timer and rotary selector switch.

It is another object of the present invention to accomplish the function of a rotary selector switch with a modified timer.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a combined timer and rotary selector switch which is more economical to manufacture than a separate timer and rotary selector switch.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a combined timer and rotary selector switch which is manually driven through a portion of a revolution and motor driven through a balance of said revolution.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a combined timer and rotary selector switch having a common shaft and a means for releasably holding the shaft in predetermined positions corresponding to the rotary selector switch positions.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a combined timer and rotary selector switch having a common shaft and a motor coupled to said shaft through a clutch, said clutch being a means for permitting said shaft to be rotated independently of said motor.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a control means for an appliance having a single knob means for performing a selector switch function and a timer function.

The present invention, in another of its aspects, relates to novel features of the instrumentalities described herein for teaching the principal object of the invention and to the novel principles employed in the instrumentalities whether or not these features and principles may be used in the said object and/or in the said ifield.

Other objects of the invention and the nature thereof will become apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and wherein like reference numbers describe elements of similar function therein and wherein the scope of the invention is determined. rather from the dependent claims.

For illustrative purposes, the invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view for illustrating the structure and operation of the combined timer and rotary selector switch of the present invention.

Generally speaking, the present invention is a combined timer and selector switch. There is a driving means and a shaft coupled to the driving means. A plurality of rotary members are mounted on the shaft so as to be rotated thereby. Each of the rotary members have means disposed thereon for operating associated switch means when said shaft is in predetermined positions. The switch means are connected to elements of an appliance. Cam means are also mounted on the shaft so as to be rotated thereby and are adapted to operate associated switch means when the shaft is driven by the driving means. The switch means associated with the cam means are also connected to the appliance. There is a means for releasably holding the shaft in the predetermined positions associated with the operating means disposed on the rotary members. A manual means is provided for rotating the shaft.

Referring now to the exploded perspective view of FIGURE 1, the structure and operation of the present invention can be visualized in conjunction with the following description.

A motor 10 is provided for driving the device of the present invention through the programmed timing cycle. The motor 10 will usually be a small synchronous motor having a self-contained speed reduction means and an output pinion gear 11. Obviously, other essentially constant speed motors can be utilized as the driving means in the present invention.

A gear 12 is engaged with and driven by the pinion gear 11. The gear 12 is rotatably mounted on a camshaft 14 and is coupled to the camshaft by means of a friction drag or overriding clutch 13. The clutch 13 is a means for permitting the camshaft 14 to be manually rotated without rotating the motor10 through the pinion gear 11 and the speed reduction means contained in the motor 10.

A selector knob 15, cam 16, and rotary member 17, 18 and 19 are mounted on the camshaft 14 so as to be rotated thereby. It can be seen that the rotary members 17, 18 and 19 have means disposed thereon for operating associated switch means when the shaft 14 is in predetermined positions. An indexing means for the camshaft 14 is comprised of a detent means 20 rigidly mounted on the camshaft 14 and an engaging detent wire 21. It can be seen that the detent means 20 is provided with four detent positions 22, 23, 24 and 24.

kAnescutcheonplate' 25 is fixedly mounted to the housing of the timer and is disposed adjacent to the knob 15. The escutcheon plate 25 has a marked off position and three marked positions 27, 28 and 29 representing positions of the rotary selector switch portion of the present invention. The detent position 22 corresponds to the off position on the escutcheon plate 25, the detent position 23 corresponds to the marked position 27, the detent position 24 corresponds to the marked position 28, and the detent position 24 corresponds to the markedposition 29.

There is a stop means 30 on the escutcheon plate 25 for engaging a pointer 26 on the knob 15. The knob 15 can be manually rotated in the direction of the arrow 31 and in the direction of the arrow 32. The stop means 30 prevents rotation of the knob 15 in the direction of, the arrow 31 and the arrow 32.

Therotary member 17 operates a switching means 33 for-energizing and de-energizing a first element of the appliance being controlled, the rotary member 18. operates a switching means 35 for energizing and de-energizing a second element of the appliance, and the rotary member 19 operates a switching means 37 for energizing and de-energizing a third element of the appliance. The first,'second and third elements of the appliance being controlled are shown representatively in the boxes 34, 36 and 38.

Itcan be seen that the operating means of the rotary members 17, 18 and 19 are disposed so that the switch means 37 is operated when the knob 15 is in the position 27, switch means 35 is operated when the knob 15 is in the position 28 and switch means 33 is operated when the knob 15 is in the position 29.

The cam 16 is adapted to operate a switch means 39 for energizing a timed function of the appliance being controlled. The timed function is shown representatively in the box 40.

In the embodiment shown, the knob 15 must be rotated in the direction of the arrow 32 in order to energize the motor and the timed function of the appliance. The motor 10 will drive the camshaft 14 in the direction of the arrow 31 until the switch means 39 is opened to deenergize the motor 10 and the timed function.

In another embodiment, the stop means 30 could be removed and the switch means 39 could be operated merely by rotating the knob through the rotary switch positions 27, 28 and 29 to the position 41 where the operating surface of the cam 16 will close the switch means 39. The motor 10 will then be energized to drive the camshaft 14 until the knob 15 is in the off position as is shown in FIGURE 1.

From the foregoing discussion, it is obvious that there can be a plurality of rotary selector switch members such as the'rotary members 17, 18 and 19 and a plurality of timingcams such as the cam 16. All that is required is to divide the 360 degree rotation of the camshaft into rotary selector switch positions and to use the balance of the travel for the timing functions.

The indexing means for establishing the rotary selector switch positions 27, 28 and 29 must not interfere with the rotation of the camshaft 14 by the motor 10. Thus, it can be seen in FIGURE 1 that the detent is smooth about the portion which corresponds to the actuating surface of the cam 16 which operates the switch means 39 to energize the motor 10.

' Thefollower portions 42 of the moveable contact members of theswitch means 33, 35, 37 and 39 are formed so that the cam 16 and rotary members 17, 18 and 19 can 4 tions 27, 28 and 29 and to a position for energizing the motor 10 so as to begin a selected timing cycle.

As an example of an application for the present invention, it will be assumed that the appliance being controlled is a'self-cleaning oven of the type that requires an extremely high temperature for a relatively long period of time to clean the surfaces of the oven. In this example it will be assumed that the first element of the appliance represents the baking function, the second element represents the broiling function, and the third element represents the time-baking function. The timed function, shown in the box 40, will be assumed to represent the self-cleaning function of the oven. Therefore, in the above established example, the knob 15 would be turned to the position 27 for time-baking, position 28 for broiling, and position 29 for baking. Afterthe oven is used and the surfaces are covered with burnt foods, the knob 15 will be rotated in the direction of the arrow 32 to the position 41 to energize the motor 10 and timed function for a predetermined period of time.

The indexing mechanism shown in FIGURE 1 is merely illustrative. and may take many and varied forms. Similarly, the friction drag clutch 13 shown inFIGURE 1 may take many and varied forms. V

The indexing mechanism illustrated in FIGURE 1 and previously described is a means for releasably holding the shaft 14 in a predetermined number of positions representing the rotary selector switch positions of the present invention.

The combined timer and selector switch of the present invention, as hereinbefore described in one embodiment, is merely illustrative and not exhaustivein scope. Since many widelydifferent embodiments of the invention may be made without deparing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interposed as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined timer and selector switch comprising: a driving means; means coupling a shaft to said driving means; a plurality of rotary members mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby, each of said rotary members adapted to operate associated switch means when said shaft is in predetermined positions, cam means mounted on said shaft as as to be rotated thereby, said cam means adapted to operate associated switch means when said shaft is driven by said driving means, said switch means connected to elements of an appliance; means releasably holding said shaft in said predetermined positions associated with operating means disposed on said rotary members; and manual means rotating said shaft, said rotating means connected to said shaft.

2. A combined timer and selector switch as in claim 1 wherein said coupling means includes means permitting said shaft to be rotated independently of said driving means.

3. A combined timer and selector switch as in claim 1 wherein said coupling means is a clutch means coupling said shaft to said driving means.

4. A combined timer and selector switch as in claim 1 wherein said means releasably holding said shaft combe rotated in the direction of the arrow 32 as well as the arrow 31. The knob 15 is a manual means for rotating the camshaft 14 to and through the rotary selector switch posiprises a substantially disc-shaped member having a plurality of radially and circumferentially spaced detent positions, said member mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby, and a spring loaded member having a portion formed and disposed so as to engage said detent positions, said spring loaded member rigidly mounted in a housing for said combined timer and selector switch.

5. A combined timer and selector switch as in claim 1 wherein said driving means is energized and de-energized by said switch means associated with said cam means.

'6. A combined timer and rotary selector switch comprising: a motor;a shaft; means coupling said motor to said shaft, said coupling means including a clutch permitting said shaft to be rotated independently of said motor; a plurality of switch means operating elements of an appliance, said switch means connected to said elements of said appliance; a plurality of rotary members mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby, each of said rotary members having means disposed thereon operating one of said switch means when said shaft is in predetermined positions; cam means mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby, said cam means having control surfaces for operating associated switch means when said shaft is being driven by said motor, said switch means connected to elements of said appliance and to said motor, said motor energized and dc-energized by said switch means; means releasably holding said shaft in said predetermined positions associated with said operating means disposed on said rotary members, said holding means disengageably connected to a detent means mounted on said shaft; and manual means rotating said shaft, said rotating means connected to said shaft.

7. A combined timer and rotary selector switch as in claim 6 wherein said shaft is manually rotated to said predetermined positions.

8. A combined timer and rotary selector switch as in claim 6 wherein said shaft is manually driven through a portion of a revolution and motor driven through a balance of said revolution.

9. A combined timer and rotary selector switch as in claim 6 wherein said shaft is manually driven clockwise and counterclockwise and motor driven clockwise.

10. A control means comprising driving means, shaft means coupled to said driving means; at least one rotary means mounted on said shaft means so as to be rotated thereby; said rotary means adapted to operate associated switch means when said shaft is in a predetermined position; cam means mounted on said shaft means so as to be rotated thereby; said cam means adapted to operate associated switch means when said shaft means is driven by said driving means; indexing means including substantially disc-shaped means having at least one radially and circumferentially spaced detent position, said discshaped means mounted on said shaft means so as to be rotated thereby, and spring loaded means having a position formed and disposed to engage said detent position; and means rotating said shaft independently of said driving means.

11. A control means as claimed in claim 10, further including means coupling said shaft to said driving means, said coupling means including means permitting said shaft to be rotated independently on said drive means.

12. A control means as claimed in claim 10, further including clutch means coupling said shaft to said driving means.

13. A control means as claimed in claim 10, wherein said rotating means is a manual rotating means.

14. A control means as claimed in claim 10, wherein said driving means is energized and de-energized by said switch means associated with said cam means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,854,855 10/ 1958 Dudley. 2,959,646 11/1960 Martin. 3,190,976 6/1965 Ellis et a1. 3,221,117 11/ 1965 Simmons. 3,271,541 9/1966 Dotto et a1. 3,294,930 12/1966 Putterbaugh et al.

ROBERT K. SC-HAEFER, Primary Examiner. H. O. JONES, Assistant Examiner. 

